The presence of staphylococcal superantigens in nasal swabs and correlation with activity of granulomatosis with polyangiitis in own material.

OBJECTIVES: Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus and its superantigens (SAg) seem to be a risk factor disease exacerbation in granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). We investigated the association between the presence of SAg in nasal swabs and activity of disease in GPA patients also taking into account correlation with an antimicrobial treatment. METHODS: In a prospective study of a total of 150 GPA patients hospitalised in the period 2009-2016, nasal swabs were examined for the presence of Staphylococcus aureus and SAg. Subsequently, the association with disease activity was assessed. RESULTS: Of 362 Staphylococcus aureus-positive nasal swab cultures from 115 of the 150 patients, the presence of at least one SAg in 126 samples (34.8%) from 56 patients (48.7%) was found. Among the 17 patients with limited to subglottic stenosis (SGS) disease, SAg were detected in 6 cases (35.3%). We did not find a significant correlation between the presence of SAg and disease activity (p=0.986), although when individual SAg were analysed separatively, SED and TSST-1 were more frequently present in active disease. Additionally, the results of the analysis demonstrated a protective effect of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (T/S) treatment (0R 0.52, p<0.0092) in GPA patients. Interestingly, GPA limited to SGS appeared as an unfavourable factor associated with disease activity (0R 1.84, p=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The association between staphylococcal SAg in nasal swabs and GPA activity is not evident. Multiple mechanisms that may lead to disease activation still need to be investigated.

[The results of molecular epidemiological investigations in patients infected with strains of the genus Acinetobacter]. / Wyniki molekularnych dochodzen epidemiologicznych u chorych zakazonych szczepami z rodzaju Acinetobacter.

INTRODUCTION: Acinetobacter spp. is an important opportunistic pathogen responsible for increasing number of nosocomial infections. The majority of infection are of epidemic origin, and treatment has become difficult because many strains are resistant to a wide range of antibiotics. The aim of this study was to investigate the local infections caused by various species of the genus Acinetobacter, occurring in the hospital wards IGiChP in periods of increased prevalence: August 2007 and February and March 2008. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty three strains of Acinetobacter spp. were isolated from 19 patients residing in the same period and the same hospital ward (2007 - 13 strains from 11 patients, 2008 - 10 strains from 8 patients). Acinetobacter isolates obtained from these patients were characterized by phenotypically methods and genotypically by arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR). RESULTS: All strains of Acinetobacter (n = 23) were multi-drug resistant. Used AP-PCR method showed 10 genotypes among the all strains. Acinetobacter spp. strains cultivated in 2007 and 2008 belonged to one genotype, came from patients hospitalized on the same wards, which confirms the transmission of infection in the patient's residence. CONCLUSIONS: The same genotype Acinetobacter baumannii strains isolated from two patients in 2007, and two patients in 2008, showed the presence of bacteria in the hospital environment. In the present study, we also established the usefulness of AP-PCR in molecular epidemiological investigations.